Author Topic: 00 frick sawmill (Read 6670 times)

Ron R. · « **on:** April 23, 2009, 05:43:32 pm »

In my previous post of looking for a mill for farm use I was thinking of a foley-belsaw or maybe a band mill. However I have found a Frick 00 mill closer to home. I don't know anything about this mill but would like some opinions. It is pto driven, 50 in inserted tooth blade, 3 block carriage and about 50 ft of track. Would like some views on this before I consider whether to make the trip or not. Hopefully you guys will give me some stuff to look for if I decide to look and barter on it.. Thanks Ron.

york · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2009, 06:07:28 pm »

Ron,

there is one on E-BAY too-bids are over 3000.00

take your dig. camera with you,many pic. would help...

the double aught Frick is one heck of a mill.....Bert

jason.weir · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2009, 08:22:21 pm »

Your going to need a serious tractor to run that mill.

You didn't mention how many teeth the 50" blade had but would probably need at least 50hp at the PTO, 75 would be better.

-J

JSNH · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2009, 09:17:13 pm »

don't get too excited and overlook the teeth/shanks. Make sure they are the ones that are avaliable and common like 2 1/2, 3 or f. If not you might be buying a mill to run but won't have a blade you can get parts for.

Sprucegum · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2009, 11:24:58 pm »

On a circle mill, for a rough estimate of horsepower needed, count the teeth and multiple by 3. So for a 30-tooth saw you want a 90-horsepower tractor. You can get by with less if you have to but it won't be ideal.

I have heard nothing but good about the Fricks.

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2009, 06:23:33 am »

Ron R,the guys have pretty much covered it.The biggie is if its complete and is /was running not just a pile of parts.That Frick is a much better mill than a belsaw although it will take more work to set it up properly.Hopefully the arbor has ball or roller bearings.Don't spend alot of money for it their not really in demand anymore.If you can show us some pictures ,so we know what we're commenting on.Frank C.

Sawyerfortyish · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2009, 07:28:22 am »

Ron I replyed to your other post and said I had replaced my american mill with an automated mill. That mill is a #1 Frick it is one of the heaviest built mills Frick made. After market parts as well as good used parts are available. You are better off with the Frick than the bellsaw. Don't worry about the teeth in the blade if you need to get a differant blade it's not a big deal. I had a blade made in 1950 on my mill when I bought it since then I bought 2 new blades all 56" blades with 44 teeth. I run my mill with a 671 detroit and the it has power to burn. It runs a hydraulic tyrone berry carrige drive also my sawdust blower and another hydraulic pump that powers the live deck and log turner. If your sawing hardwoods I would tell you to have at least a 70hp tractor on that mill. That is what I first had when I started milling on my old mill any less and you will not have enough power in hardwood and even at that you will have to slow your feed rate to cut big logs. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Meadows Miller · « **Reply #7 on:** April 24, 2009, 08:37:05 am »

Gday Ron

I had read your post and the boys had coverd it well

With the Frick you couldnt go wrong with it if its still in good nick and the price is rite Mate Frick,Meadows and all the other H/duty mills that you can still get parts for

will last you more than a lifetime with the rite maintanace

(you could have a family hairloom on your hands mate

)
and you will find Jerry at Frickco a Top Bloke to deal with for spare parts as ive talked with him a afew times over the last year mate

With being Pto powerd if your tractors a little light on Hp

Id suggest using it with what you have got for a start

and then finding a good Gm or somthing like that to power it off at a later date

Like the Boys have said they are a little harder to setup for a start but if you do it properly you wont have to worry about it for a long time

and that you can update and add things as you go and you will have plenty off support from Us here as you go Mate

Good luck Mate

and as has being said before We like Pics

Reguards Chris

Frickman · « **Reply #8 on:** April 24, 2009, 02:50:55 pm »

The 00 is a good little mill. It was made as a farmer/part-timer mill. Parts are easily available from Fricko in Ohio. As mentioned above, don't pay too much for it as used handset mills are for sale everywhere.

Ron R. · « **Reply #9 on:** April 24, 2009, 03:37:06 pm »

thanks for all the feedback. I called the gentlemen today and found out a few more things. First it must be a really old mill because of the babbit bearings. Second thing, which I know almost nothing evidently, is he said the carriage is cog or gear driven. I don't know as I ever heard of one. I figured these type mills were cable driven. Anyhow, he's eighty year old and said he hadn't sawed with it for years but it is still together to look at. It only about 90 miles from me so I think I'll take a little trip first part of the week and take my camera and take some pics. He called it a pony mill. So I'm lost as to whether is it a 00 or if a pony is a different mill. I need to do some reading up on Fricks......Ron

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 24, 2009, 04:15:40 pm »

Ron ,don't rush into any mill,look at several their not a hot item, it sat for many years and isn't going anywhere fast.Glad to see folks willing to bring the old mills back to production.All milling is good but theirs nothing like feeding a log through the big saw.Find a local sawsmith that can tension headsaws they know where everything is and most want a new customer and usally will steer you straight on saws.Go slow and enjoy the trip.Frank C.

Ron Wenrich · « **Reply #11 on:** April 24, 2009, 08:16:42 pm »

I just looked at a listing for a similar mill in Tennessee, might even be the same mill. This one is 3 headblock and a 28' carriage. Price is $2000.

Ron R. · « **Reply #12 on:** April 24, 2009, 08:51:34 pm »

Ron, That's the one I'm going to look at the first of the week. I've heard several people say you can buy these mills cheap, but I am wondering what you guys all call cheap? I figure a circle mill between 2-3 thousand would be somewhat cheap. What's your thoughts?

Meadows Miller · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2009, 02:32:49 am »

Gday

Ron $3000 grands Cheap if its not gonna take a heall off alot of work and money to get it back in action Mate

Im looking at spending $30 grand + to get my base mill up and running and then about $60 with edger and greenchain then if i upgrade to Auto at a later date probley around the $100 grand + mark

but its Well Worth it

when you put it up against buying new one that will do the same job

Reguards Chris

Sawyerfortyish · « **Reply #14 on:** April 25, 2009, 03:06:08 am »

2-4 thousand is reasonable but you have to look at things and start deducting. Whats it going to take to pour new babbait bearings. Is the blade ok or will you need a differant one. How beat up is the carriage how loose are the headblocks.If it has a gear drive carriage instead of cable I've only seen one other. That was an early early model american mill made before the 1900s. I can't remember how they work to make the carriage go. I think there is a cog gear in place of the cable drum and there is a flat piece that meshes with that gear on the bottom of the carriage I can't remember.(Jeesh am I showing my age

) When I bought my mill I paid 10g but it has an air over electric carriage powered by hydraulic drive and an offbearer belt and everything is steel. That mill your looking at is probably a wood carriage and husk and thats something else you will need to look at is the wood rotted? will it need to be replaced? Is the mill inside or out? how rusty is things are the headblocks free is the set works working ok both forward and reverse and you need to look for cracks and fractures in the cast iron parts. These are all things that you need to look for and keep in mind.

Ron Wenrich · « **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2009, 06:14:22 am »

There's several ways of defining price. Low cost and cheap aren't necessarily the same thing. Usually, you get what you pay for.

$2000 isn't a great deal to pay for a mill. But, this one says that some wood needs to be replaced. So, there is some additional work involved. And I will bet that you will have to tear it down and put it on your truck. A 28' carriage should break down into 2 separate carriages.

To be cheap, it would be a ready to go unit. You can find some newer models with a power unit, edger and log turner and it might be double to triple the price. And, they often come with 2 saws.

We looked at an automatic mill with vertical edger, track and a booth for $13,000. It had the electric motors and 6 saws. It was apart and sitting in a chip van. We were looking at it for parts. It had air dogs, but didn't have a compressor. We use all hydraulic.

As Sawyerfortyish said, take a good look at the unit. Take a square along to see if the headblocks are square. Quite often they get washed out from turning logs.

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2009, 07:02:26 am »

Ron R,So much depends,did the old guy have a roof over the mill.?? Probibly hasen't run in twenty years.Let me go out on a limb and give you my mill values.Cheap,complete mill with power plant 1000 or under.Good/fair deal same mill 1000 to 2000.Over 2000 must be in good running shape or with extras.Usally mills that are advertised are more expensive than mills that are found,they look at outher adds and price the same.Today you can buy alot of mill for little money.Stay away from parts piles or really delapitated unroofed mills.I bet theirs an old mill little more than walking distance from where you live.Ask around some old timers and follow up leads.When you dismantle a mill to move take many good close up photos and measurements,save everything for measurements ,makes it so much easier when you have to rewood.What usally happens is you will buy a couple of old mills then run across a real good mill and end up with that and a big pile of parts.Good luck Ron keep us in the loop.Frank C.

Sawyerfortyish · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2009, 07:21:14 am »

Chico I seen that mill running at an old engine show someplace. It was an Americin mill and thats what caught attention. At that time I was running an american mill. I just can't remember where it was.

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2009, 07:25:24 am »

Ron R,when the old guy said the carriage was gear or cog driven he may have been refering to the setworks on the carriage.Almost all the rack and pinion drive carriages were converted to cable years ago.Frank C.

bigmillman · « **Reply #19 on:** April 27, 2009, 08:01:37 am »

The steam powered saw mill at the Georgia Agrirama in Tifton, Ga. has a mill that the carriage is rack and pinion drive...seems like it is a Taylor/Schofield Iron Works mill. They have a lot of loging and milling machinery from the turn of the century (20th)...worth the drive to see it.

Stacey Freeman
Freeman's Mill
www.freemansmill.com

News:

Author Topic: 00 frick sawmill (Read 6670 times)